78-563: The Nayaks of Kandy (also referred to as the Kandyan Nayak Dynasty , Sinhala : මහනුවර නායක්කාරවරු Mahanuwara Nayakkarawaru , Tamil : கண்டி நாயக்கர் ) were the rulers of the Kingdom of Kandy between 1739 and 1815, and the last dynasty to rule on the island. The term Nayak is derived from the Sanskrit word Nāyaka (meaning "leader, governor"). Their rise to power came about as a result of
156-783: A supposed former abundance of lions on the island. According to the chronicle Mahāvaṃsa , written in Pali, Prince Vijaya of the Vanga Kingdom and his entourage merged in Sri Lanka with later settlers from the Pandya kingdom . In the following centuries, there was substantial immigration from Eastern India, including additional migration from the Vanga Kingdom (Bengal), as well as Kalinga and Magadha . This influx led to an admixture of features of Eastern Prakrits. The development of Sinhala
234-653: A Dravidian origin for this word. ), dola for pig in Vedda and offering in Sinhala. Other common words are rera for wild duck, and gala for stones (in toponyms used throughout the island, although others have also suggested a Dravidian origin). There are also high frequency words denoting body parts in Sinhala, such as olluva for head, kakula for leg, bella for neck and kalava for thighs, that are derived from pre-Sinhalese languages of Sri Lanka. The oldest Sinhala grammar, Sidatsan̆garavā , written in
312-422: A contingent of relatives with royal lineage ultimately making Kandy their permanent home. The king, however, died childless soon after, having nominated as his successor , his eldest brother in-law who had been living in the court ever since his sister had married the king. Thus by this peculiar mode of succession the son of Narenappa Nayaka who claimed kingship with the ruling Madurai Nayak family now ascended
390-563: A mahesi or from brother to brother. However, when Narendra Sinha's brother-in-law succeeded the throne, the Sinhalese Kandyan aristocracy had no problem with this new form of succession. The practice of marrying princesses from Madurai is said to have come into occurrence as the Kandy kings insisted on consorts from the Suryavamsa lineage to grace their coronation and to produce heirs acceptable to
468-523: A military intervention. The pretext was provided by the seizure of a number of British merchants, who were detained on suspicion of spying and were tortured, killing several of them. An invasion was duly mounted and advanced to Kandy without resistance, reaching the city on 10 February 1815. On 2 March, the kingdom was ceded to the British under a treaty called the Kandyan Convention . On the 2nd of March,
546-722: A period of prior bilingualism: "The earliest type of contact in Sri Lanka, not considering the aboriginal Vedda languages, was that which occurred between South Dravidian and Sinhala. It seems plausible to assume prolonged contact between these two populations as well as a high degree of bilingualism. This explains why Sinhala looks deeply South Dravidian for an Indo-Aryan language. There is corroboration in genetic findings." In addition to many Tamil loanwords , several phonetic and grammatical features also present in neighbouring Dravidian languages set modern spoken Sinhala apart from its Northern Indo-Aryan relatives. These features are evidence of close interactions with Dravidian speakers. Some of
624-510: A reign of 35 years which the people saw as a great religious revival, and had a sentimental attachment to the King. Brother of Kirti Sri Rajasinha, the new king who ascended the throne as Sri Rajadhi Rajasinha. He came from Madurai as a child along with his brother. Hence he was raised as Kandyan and Sinhalese ; emerging as a brilliant pupil of the Malwatte Temple's chief Prelate at that time. He
702-572: A royal prisoner in Vellore Fort the erstwhile King received a privy purse , which his descendants continued to receive from the Government of Ceylon until it was abolished in 1965. Sri Wikrama Rajasinha died of dropsy on 30 January 1832 aged 52 years. For centuries Kandy , originally known as Senkadagala, has been the bastion of Sri Lanka 's culture and its spiritual centre. The palace complex at Kandy includes Sri Lanka's most venerated shrine ,
780-473: Is a conspicuous example of the linguistic phenomenon known as diglossia . Sinhala ( Siṁhala ) is a Sanskrit term; the corresponding Middle Indo-Aryan ( Eḷu ) word is Sīhala . The name is a derivative of [[[:wikt:सिंह|siṁha]]] Error: {{Transliteration}}: transliteration text not Latin script ( help ) , the Sanskrit word for 'lion'. The name is sometimes glossed as 'abode of lions', and attributed to
858-466: Is a major city located in the north central plain of Sri Lanka . It is the capital city of North Central Province and the capital of Anuradhapura District . The city lies 205 kilometers (127 mi) north of the current capital of Colombo in the North Central Province, on the banks of the historic Malwathu Oya . The city is now a World Heritage Site famous for its well-preserved ruins of
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#1732852707640936-584: Is an Indo-Aryan language primarily spoken by the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka , who make up the largest ethnic group on the island, numbering about 16 million. Sinhala is also spoken as the first language by other ethnic groups in Sri Lanka, totalling about 2 million speakers as of 2001. It is written using the Sinhala script , which is a Brahmic script closely related to the Grantha script of South India. Sinhala
1014-479: Is divided into four epochs: The most important phonetic developments of Sinhala include: According to Wilhelm Geiger , an example of a possible Western feature in Sinhala is the retention of initial /v/ which developed into /b/ in the Eastern languages (e.g. Sanskrit viṁśati "twenty", Sinhala visi- , Hindi bīs ). This is disputed by Muhammad Shahidullah who says that Sinhala Prakrit branched off from
1092-412: Is one of the official and national languages of Sri Lanka, alongside Tamil . Along with Pali , it played a major role in the development of Theravada Buddhist literature. Early forms of the Sinhala language are attested as early as the 3rd century BCE. The language of these inscriptions, still retaining long vowels and aspirated consonants, is a Prakrit similar to Magadhi , a regional associate of
1170-637: Is said to have been entrusted the task of protection of the island of Lanka by Lord Buddha himself. Thus even after conversion to Buddhism, the kings were devoted to Lord Vishnu as a part of veneration of the protector of the Buddhist island. Sinhala language Sinhala ( / ˈ s ɪ n h ə l ə , ˈ s ɪ ŋ ə l ə / SIN -hə-lə, SING -ə-lə ; Sinhala: සිංහල , siṁhala , [ˈsiŋɦələ] ), sometimes called Sinhalese ( / ˌ s ɪ n ( h ) ə ˈ l iː z , ˌ s ɪ ŋ ( ɡ ) ə ˈ l iː z / SIN -(h)ə- LEEZ , SING -(g)ə- LEEZ ),
1248-657: Is still considered a sacred spot; and is a place of pilgrimage." Various excavations have taken place at the site, beginning in 1884–86 by Stephen Montagu Burrows . Anuradhapura became the centre of administration of the North Central Province and with the building of the Northern Railway line , Anuradhapura became an important railway town with the opening of the Anuradhapura railway station in 1904. The Government of Ceylon tasked Oliver Weerasinghe to develop
1326-442: Is traced to the minister named 'Anuradha' in the court of Prince Vijaya (543–505 BCE ), the first Sinhalese king of the island. According to the legends related to Vijaya, his minister named 'Anuradha' established the settlement that later became Anuradhapura. However, the finding of earlier settlements in the citadel area of the old city dating back to until 10 century BCE would doubt this claim. The name 'Anuradhapura' means
1404-600: The British and exiled to Vellore Fort in India. The Nayaks of Kandy were notable for re-establishing the long-dormant tradition among the Sinhalese monarchs of marrying from South Indian nobility, and for their childless marriages resulting in non-linear succession. The Kandy Nayaks were practicing Vaishnavite Hindus , however were also patrons of Theravada Buddhism and paid tribute to the Buddhist sanghas . The stability and power of
1482-700: The Middle Indian Prakrits that had been used during the time of the Buddha . The most closely related languages are the Vedda language (an endangered, indigenous creole still spoken by a minority of Sri Lankans, mixing Sinhala with an isolate of unknown origin and from which Old Sinhala borrowed various aspects into its main Indo-Aryan substrate), and the Maldivian language . It has two main varieties, written and spoken, and
1560-576: The UNESCO National Commission of Ceylon According to Wilhelm Geiger , Sinhala has features that set it apart from other Indo-Aryan languages. Some of the differences can be explained by the substrate influence of the parent stock of the Vedda language . Sinhala has many words that are only found in Sinhala, or shared between Sinhala and Vedda and not etymologically derivable from Middle or Old Indo-Aryan. Possible examples include kola for leaf in Sinhala and Vedda (although others suggest
1638-574: The Wayback Machine - Census 2001 Anuradhapura has a tropical savanna climate ( Köppen As ). Anuradhapura is served by railway and highways. The Northern railway line connects Anuradhapura with Colombo , Jaffna , and Kankesanthurai . Anuradhapura railway station is the city's rail gateway, with major services, such as the Yal Devi , Uttara Devi stopping there. There are a number of bus routes passing through Anuradhapura from Colombo to
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#17328527076401716-441: The 'city of Anuradha' (Anuradha+pura), where "pura" stand for 'city' in Sinhala , Sanskrit , Pali , and Tamil . However, before Anuradhapura was considered a city, it was called the 'Anuradhagrama,' meaning the 'village of Anuradha,' from "Anuradha" and "grama". This older name was also mentioned in the work of ancient Greek and Roman scholars such as Strabo and Claudius Ptolemy . In Ptolemy's world map from 2 century CE ,
1794-464: The 13th century CE, recognised a category of words that exclusively belonged to early Sinhala. The grammar lists naram̆ba (to see) and koḷom̆ba (fort or harbour) as belonging to an indigenous source. Koḷom̆ba is the source of the name of the commercial capital Colombo . The consistent left branching syntax and the loss of aspirated stops in Sinhala is attributed to a probable South Dravidian substratum effect. This has been explained by
1872-417: The 1870s. The contemporary city, much of which was moved during the mid-20th century to preserve the site of the ancient capital, is a major road junction of northern Sri Lanka and lies along a railway line. The city is the headquarters of Sri Lanka's archeological survey, and tourism is a significant factor in its economy. According to historical records such as Mahavamsa , the origin of the name Anuradhapura
1950-591: The Anuradhapura Preservation Plan in 1949, aimed at establishing a new planned town east of the existing Anuradhapura town, thereby establishing the Sacred city of Anuradhapura, with the aim of preserving the ancient city. The "New Town" had many of the government offices and law courts moved into it. The Anuradhapura Preservation Board was established with this aim. Nissanka Wijeyeratne was Government Agent of Anuradhapura District from 1958 to 1962. He
2028-533: The British an excuse to seize the Kingdom. The Adigar manipulated the king into beginning a military conflict with the British, who had gained a strong position in the coastal provinces. War was declared and on 22 March 1803 the British entered Kandy with no resistance, Sri Vikrama Rajasinha having fled. The adigar massacred the British garrison in Kandy in June and restored the king to the throne. Pilimitalava plotted to overthrow
2106-407: The British. After failing to surrender (after 3 weeks of notice), the exasperated king dismissed Ehelepola, confiscated his lands, and ordered the imprisonment and execution of his wife and children. A propagandised account of the execution was widely circulated by sympathisers. Ehelepola fled to British-controlled territory, where he persuaded the British that Sri Vikrama Rajasinha's tyranny deserved
2184-729: The Dalada Maligawa or Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic . Raja Maha Vihara (Gangarama) was built at Kandy by the second Nayak king Kirti Sri Rajasinha while his successor Sri Rajadhi Rajasinha was a lavish patron of Buddhism . The first Nayak king Sri Vijaya Rajasinha is noted for various erection of Buddhist statues throughout the Kingdom. The Kandy Lake overlooking Kandy was commissioned by Sri Vikrama Rajasinha . The Kandy Nayaks are credited for establishing numerous Vishnu temples in Sri Lanka dedicated to their clan deity Vishnu. In Sinhalese culture, Vishnu, hailed as Upulvan ,
2262-700: The Eastern Prakrits prior to this change. He cites the edicts of Ashoka , no copy of which shows this sound change. An example of an Eastern feature is the ending -e for masculine nominative singular (instead of Western -o ) in Sinhalese Prakrit. There are several cases of vocabulary doublets , one example being the words mæssā ("fly") and mækkā ("flea"), which both correspond to Sanskrit makṣikā but stem from two regionally different Prakrit words macchiā (Western Prakrits) and makkhikā (as in Eastern Prakrits like Pali ). In 1815,
2340-665: The English Governor of Madras to assist him in expelling the Dutch. This envoy, a junior Kandyan Official in the military made a clandestine trip to Madras Fort, and the English responded by sending their councillor John Pybus. John Pybus, a writer of the British East India Company , sailed to Kandy with a backup of five ships and about 200 armed men. A British vessel brought Pybus to Trincomalee on 5 May 1762. The Dutch knew of
2418-675: The Kandyan Nayaks were heavily reliant on the support from the Madurai and Thanjavur branches of the House, particularly in the form of military assistance against the Portuguese and Dutch with alliances cemented by intermarriage between Kandy and South India. Thus, intermarriage across the Palk Strait became a matter of policy for Kandy in 17th and 18th centuries. The Nayakkar -led dynasty of Kandy
Nayaks of Kandy - Misplaced Pages Continue
2496-406: The King and seize the crown for himself, but his plot was discovered, and, having been pardoned on two previous occasions, he was executed. The disgraced adigar was replaced by his nephew, Ehelepola, who soon came under suspicion of following his uncle in plotting the overthrow of Sri Vikrama Rajasinha. A rebellion instigated by Ehalepola was suppressed, after which he then fled to Colombo and joined
2574-538: The King to cede the three four and seven Korales and Puttlam and hand over the entire coastline of island to the Dutch. The king was not agreeable to any demand that diminished his sovereignty and was deliberately delaying a settlement hoping for help from the English in Madras after his discussion and negotiations with John Pybus 1762. The King in mid-1762 sought help from George Pigot , Governor of Fort St George Madras for assistance. The British were eager to obtain
2652-531: The Nayak king Kumara Krishnappa , who reigned at Madurai (1562–1572), is said to have conquered Kandy . Kumara Krishnappa killed the then reigning Kandy king, sent the late king's wife and children to Anuradhapura and placed his own brother-in-law Vijaya Gopala Naidu as his viceroy in Kandy. The last king of the Kandy Mahanuwara dynasty, Narendra Sinha, died in 1739 without an offspring from his queen. His queen
2730-510: The Vijayanagara Empire collapsed in the mid-16th century some of these governors declared independence and established their own kingdoms in Gingee , Thanjavur , Madurai and Chandragiri . They were of Nayakkar origin, spoke Tamil and used Sinhala and Tamil as their court languages. but they used Telugu with their familiars. According to a Telugu work called Sinhaladvipa Katha ,
2808-581: The ancient Sinhalese civilisation . While Mahāvaṃsa places the founding of the city in 437 BCE , the site has been inhabited for much longer, making it a major human settlement on the island for almost three millennia and one of the oldest continuously occupied cities in Asia. It is the cradle of the Hydraulic Sri Lankan civilisation, Theravada Buddhism, and the longest-serving ancient capital of Sri Lanka that has survived for 1500 years. Moreover, It
2886-461: The arrival of Pybus through their spies and they were kept informed of his movements. Pybus took an exhausting covert trip to meet the King on 24 May 1762. After several talks without any conclusive decisions Pybus left after a month. The King gave him a ring , sword , a gold chain with breast jewels and left the country crossing the river at Puttalam pass while the Dissawa who accompanied Pybus presented
2964-401: The capital to Anuradhapura, it was not reestablished as a major population centre of the island until the British colonial era in the 19th century CE . Despite its political decline, Anuradhapura remained a vital pilgrimage site for Buddhists throughout the medieval period and continues to be an important spiritual destination to this day. The revival of the current city began in earnest in
3042-505: The citadel area of the old city puts the date of the human settlement as far back as the 10th century BC. According to these excavations, protohistoric Iron Age of the city spans from 900 - 600 BCE , with the appearance of iron technology, pottery, the horse, domestic cattle and paddy cultivation. In the time period 700-600 BCE, the settlement in Anuradhapura had grown over an area of at least 50 ha. Irrigable and fertile land surround
3120-460: The city with gates and quarters for traders. The city at the time covered an area of one square kilometer, making it one of the largest cities on the continent at the time. The city was largely deserted after the invasion by the Chola Tamil Hindu king Rajaraja 1 in 993 CE and his son Rajendra 1 in 1014 CE . According to Culavamsa (6th century CE -18th century CE ), Anuradhapura
3198-659: The city, strategically situated with major ports northwest and northeast of the island. The city also benefited from dense jungle surroundings, providing a natural defense from invaders. Excavation at Anuradhapura has unearthed Painted Gray Ware (PGW) pottery from the 'Basal early historic' period of Anuradhapura (600 BC-500 BCE) showing connections with North India (during vedic period ). Details of city's development in this early historic period, spanning from 500 to 250 BCE can be found in Sinhalese Chronicles. According to these records, King Pandukabhaya formally planned
Nayaks of Kandy - Misplaced Pages Continue
3276-512: The country were due to his action. He married a bride from the Royal family of Madurai. When the king ascended the throne he sought a wife from South India . For this purpose he sent messengers to Madurai in 1739. Since the Madurai Nayaks had now lost the power and prestige they enjoyed in the days of Vijayaranga Chokkanatha , the family members thought it advisable and even desirable to accept
3354-490: The country." The Kandy King, Kirti Sri Rajasinha (Kirti Sri Maha Raja), married two daughters of Vijaya Manan Naicker, the grandson of Vijaya Raghava Nayaka of Tanjore and also brought some dispossessed Nayaks of Tanjore to live in Kandy. He also married the daughter of one Nadukattu Sami Nayakkar in 1749. He further married three more Nayakkar queens from Madurai , but had no children from them. He had six daughters and two sons by his Sinhalese wife ( Yakada Doli ), daughter of
3432-524: The death of Vira Narendrasinha , who left no legitimate heir- the throne passed to his brother-in-law, who was crowned as Sri Vijaya Rajasinha in 1739. They were of Nayakkar origin, spoke Sinhala and Tamil , and used both Sinhala and Tamil as their court languages and also they used Telugu with their family members and with their familiars They are also credited for building various Vishnu temples in Sri Lanka dedicated to their clan deity Vishnu , known as Upulvan in Sinhala. A prominent one of them
3510-441: The envoys to Ceylon for the daughter's nuptial ; settled in Kandy with their kith and kin. Narenappa Nayaka was destined to be not only the father-in-law of one king, but the father of the next two kings of Kandy; for his two sons, the one five or six years old in 1740, and the other still an infant were successively to succeed Sri Vijaya Rajasinha. Sri Vijaya Rajasinha married another Madurai princess in 1747. Each bride brought
3588-594: The features that may be traced to Dravidian influence are: ඒක ēka it අලුත් aḷut new කියලා kiyalā having-said මම mama I දන්නවා dannavā know ඒක අලුත් කියලා මම දන්නවා ēka aḷut kiyalā mama dannavā it new having-said I know "I know that it is new." ඒක ēka it අලුත් aḷut new ද da Q කියලා kiyalā having-said මම mama I දන්නේ Anuradhapura Anuradhapura ( Sinhala : අනුරාධපුරය , romanized: Anurādhapuraya ; Tamil : அனுராதபுரம் , romanized: Aṉurātapuram )
3666-461: The humiliation, the new Dutch governor Van Eck had immediate plans to attack Kandy, but the weakness in fortification and garrison forbade the Dutch. Later they did attach in 1764 and in 1765. Hence, in the early part of 1763 the Dutch were only consolidating their positions and gradually expelling Kandyans from the territories taken over from Dutch. Throughout 1763 the King continually sought peace and sent his envoys to discuss terms. The Governor wished
3744-553: The initial settlement at the site of the city can be attributed to the second global cycle of historical evolution with the generalised diffusion of iron technology in the Old World through the first millennium BCE , culminating in the emergence of many historical civilizations. The history of Anuradhapura then extends from its traditional founding in the recorded history in the fourth century BCE and its subsequent laying-out by Devanampiya Tissa (250–210 BCE ) to its abandonment by
3822-538: The island of Ceylon came under British rule . During the career of Christopher Reynolds as a Sinhalese lecturer at the School of African and Oriental Studies, University of London , he extensively researched the Sinhalese language and its pre-1815 literature. The Sri Lankan government awarded him the Sri Lanka Ranjana medal for his work. He wrote the 377-page An anthology of Sinhalese literature up to 1815 , selected by
3900-515: The kingdom was ceded to the British under a treaty called the Kandyan Convention. Sri Vikrama Rajasinha was captured and sent along with his family and attendants as a royal prisoner by the British to Vellore Fort in southern India. A son was born to him while he was in exile but he died without issue. The King then adopted the son of his daughter as his own son who was titled Alagia Manawala Sinhala Raja . During Sri Vikrama Rajasinha's time as
3978-413: The last of the Anuradhapura kings at the end of the tenth century CE , its brief reoccupation in the eleventh century and the restoration of some of its major monuments, in the late 13th century CE by Vijayabahu IV (1267–1270 CE ). Even though, historical chronicle Mahāvaṃsa (5th century CE ) place founding of the city in the 5th century BC, the archaeological data from the excavation of
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#17328527076404056-417: The late Dissave (Headman) of Bintenna and granddaughter of the blind and aged Mampitiya Dissave. Both his sons survived the king and his daughters' married Nayakkar relatives of the king. Mampitiya's sons claim for the throne was overlooked and the choice fell on the king's brother who was living in court. The king died on 2 January 1782, of the injuries caused two months before by a fall from his horse after
4134-569: The local population remained aware of the ruins. In Robert Knox 's 1681 An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon , he wrote: "At this City of Anurodgburro is a Watch kept, beyond which are no more people that yield obedience to the King of Kandy". In 1821, John Davy wrote that: "Anooradapoora, so long the capital of Ceylon, is now a small mean village, in the midst of a desert. A large tank, numerous stone pillars, two or three immense tumuli, (probably old dagobahs,) are its principal remains. It
4212-516: The monopoly of trading in cinnamon, pepper, betel nut (puwak) from the Kandyan Kings also wanted to expel the Dutch from the coasts. A reason to call on the British for assistance by the Kandyan King in 1762 was that after the treaty of Paris, the Dutch poured troops into Sri Lanka . They were bent on capturing Kandy from six directions (1764). Anticipating such a scenario the King sent an envoy to
4290-615: The offer from the king of Kandy. Hence the family of Bangaru Thirumala , who was now residing in Vellaikuruchi Fort near Thirupachetiram in Sivaganga Zamin responded. Two brothers Rama Krishnappa Nayaka and Narenappa Nayaka, kinsmen of Bangaru Tirumala Nayaka meet the Kandyan envoys at Ramnad . Narenappa Nayaka had a daughter of marriageable age and agreed to the Kandyan request. The brothers with their families and some kins accompanied
4368-482: The old were being transferred to the new town. It was a time of some tension and of excitement. He managed this process of change with courage and remarkable political skills. While in Anuradhapura, he unveiled a memorial for H. R. Freeman , a popular British Government Agent who later was elected by the people of the district to represent them in the 1st State Council of Ceylon . Coming events cast their shadows before. A striking feature of Wijeyeratne's Anuradhapura days
4446-540: The people. The Brother-in-law of King Vira Narendra Sinha , Narendra Singha's first wife's brother, from the Madurai Nayak house, ascended the throne of Kandy , as Sri Vijaya Rajasinha. The new king, considered to be a man of considerable culture, devoted his entire attention to the furtherance of the majority religion Buddhism despite being a Hindu . He is said to have commissioned life sized images of Buddha in recumbent, standing and sitting postures to be cut in
4524-451: The place was named 'Anourogrammoi.' Thus, It is believed that the expansion of this earlier smaller settlement called Anuradhagrama into a city during the reign of Sinhalese king Pandukabhaya (474–367 BCE ) in 437 BCE caused the change of the name to Anuradhapura. Significant milestones in the development of the name Anuradhapura is the best representation of the beginnings of pre-modern urbanization in Sri Lanka. The development of
4602-665: The purpose of advancing Buddhism in Sri Lanka, also building the Raja Maha Vihara (Gangarama) was built at Kandy . Kirti built the existing inner temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic , and caused the Mahavansa chronicle to be continued from the time of Parâkkamabâhu IV down to his own reign. In 1761 King Kirti Sri Rajasinha attacked the Dutch garrisons and forts at Matara , Katuwana , Tangalle , Marakade and Urubokke , completely destroying them, and killing Dutch while some surrendered and ended as prisoners. In order to revenge
4680-406: The rock caves in various parts of the country. His reign also marked several conflicts with the Dutch who were ruling the coastal provinces, based on trading issues. Sri Vijaya Rajasinha destroyed the churches and initiated a persecution against the Portuguese and Dutch, which was continued under Kirti Sri Rajasinha . It ceased only because the king considered that certain calamities which fell upon
4758-480: The royal family and nobility of Sri Lanka strongly supported Buddhism. As such, they frequently commissioned works of art and donated these items to Buddhist temples. In return, the temple and local Buddhist community supported the king's rule. Artworks featuring depictions of Avalokitesvara , the Bodhisattva of Mercy and Compassion, became increasingly popular. The area was sparsely inhabited for many centuries, but
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#17328527076404836-451: The ships commander Samuel Cornish a gold chain and a ring in the name of King "Kirti Sri Rajasinha". John Pybus in his notes described the King as a man of tolerable stature, reddish in complexion and very brisk in his movements. Pybus was amazed as to how the kandyans had managed to fight a war with Dutch and had captured Matara Dutch Fort. He wrote that "They had put every European to the sword except two officers who are now prisoners of
4914-466: The throne of Kandy as Kirti Sri Rajasinha. Kirti Sri Rajasinha was a prince from the Nayaks of Madurai royal family and brother-in-law to Sri Vijaya Raja Singha. He succeeded his brother-in-law to the throne in 1751. He devoted the first few years of his reign to the advancement of literature and religion. The king, later with the Dutch assistance got down to learning Bhikkus from Siam ( Thailand ) for
4992-461: The throne, faced many conspiracies and reigned through one of the most turbulent periods in Sri Lanka's history. During his time, the British who had succeeded the Dutch in the Maritime Provinces had not interfered in the politics of the Kandy. But Pilimatalava, the first Adigar of the King, started covert operations with the British to provoke the King into acts of aggression, which would give
5070-499: The throne. The king also had a concubine from a high caste, who had a son with him named Unambuwe, and did survive. The bar to his succession was the lack of royal status in the mother. Thus, the king nominated, as his successor, the brother of his first queen who had remained at the court ever since his sister married him. According to the law of succession that prevailed in Ceylon , the throne passed almost always from father to son, born of
5148-460: The vacant throne. The controversial Adigar was also seen as one of the main reason for the demise of the dynasty. The next King who ascended the throne was Prince Kannasamy, the former Kings' nephew, barely 18 years old. He was crowned under the title of Sri Vikrama Rajasinha. He would also be the last King of the Kandy Nayakar dynasty and the last of Sri Lanka . During his time the British colony
5226-590: The world and that is believed to have originally been a branch of the sacred fig tree at Bodh Gaya (Bihar, India), under which the Buddha attained enlightenment. These vast networks of ancient temples and monasteries now cover over 100 square kilometers (40 sq mi) of area of the city today. The city was mostly destroyed and largely deserted after 993 CE , with the Chola invasion from South India. Although several attempts were made by later Sinhalese kings to return
5304-454: Was "utterly destroyed in every way by the Chola army. Still, the place was continuously inhabited after this event as indicated by records of visitors to the island such as Robert Knox and others. Thus, the city was the longest-serving Sinhalese capital of Sri Lanka from the 5th century BCE (437 BCE ) until the 11th century CE (1017 CE) flourishing for around 1,500 years. Anuradhapura
5382-464: Was a Madurai Nayak princess. Narendra Sinha's had nominated a brother of his Madura queen to succeed him; and he was crowned under the assumed title of Sri Vijaya Raja Sinha. Thus, Sri Vijaya Rajasinha succeeded the throne and established the Kandy Nayak line. The last king of the Kandy Mahanuwara dynasty was Vira Narendra Sinha who ruled from 1707 to 1739. This king ascended the throne in 1707 when he
5460-535: Was a major intellectual centre for early Theravada Buddhism, home to revered Buddhist philosophers including Buddhaghosa . During the reign of Dhatusena (455-473) a redaction of the Theravada Buddhist canon took place while at the same time 18 new vihara (temple complexes) were built and a statue erected for Mahinda, the Indian prince-monk who introduced Buddhism to the island. During the late Anuradhapura period,
5538-530: Was arguably the best known of all government agents of his time. His stature ensured that the voice of Anuradhapura was heard at the highest levels in Colombo. Apart from being Government Agent, he was Chairman of the Anuradhapura Preservation Board. This was the time when the city of Anuradhapura was in a period of historic transition. The new town of Anuradhapura was being built, and the residents of
5616-470: Was fully established in other parts of Sri Lanka. There was a rival claimant to succeed King Sri Rajadhi Rajasinha, the brother of Queen Upendramma , who had a stronger claim. However, Pilimatalawe, the first Adigar (prime Minister) choose the South Indian Prince to the Kandyan throne, with reportedly deep-seated plans to usurp the throne to set a new dynasty of his own. The young King, upon ascending
5694-468: Was his great ability to see the bigger picture and focus on the key issues, and delegate responsibilities to his staff officers. He was never one to be enmeshed in detail. He also set up the Sacred City of Anuradhapura shifted the urban city to the newly created Anuradhapura town and is responsible for the establishment of Anuradhapura Airport . Source: www.statistics.gov.lk Archived 13 July 2017 at
5772-404: Was quite a sophisticated person and learned many languages amongst which were Pali and Sanskrit . A lavish patron of Buddhism , he was a great aficionado of poetry and he himself was a poet. He died childless in 1798 without nominating a successor. The burden fell on Pilimatalava , the first Adigar (Prime Minister) Pilimatalawe, an able, ambitious and intriguing chief, to select a successor to
5850-416: Was seventeen and was considered to be a very pious and scholarly. In 1708 the king married a bride from Madurai Royal family, the daughter of Pitti Nayakkar. Again, in 1710, he married another bride from Madurai. He had no children by either of the queens. He also had a secondary Kandyan wife from noble family of Matale . They had a son. However, the children of the secondary wife were not considered heirs to
5928-524: Was the Kandy Vishnu Temple established at their capital Kandy. A cadet branch of the Madurai Nayak dynasty, the Kandyan Nayaks were related to the Thanjavur Nayaks as well. Both Madurai and Thanjavur nayaks belonged to Nayakkar caste. In total, four Nayak monarchs ruled in Kandy, the last of whom, Sri Vikrama Rajasinha, was deposed as a result of the Kandyan nobility's collusion with
6006-540: Was the first capital of the Sinhala Kingdom of Rajarata , following the kingdoms of Tambapanni and Upatissa Nuwara . Anuradhapura was also the centre of Theravada Buddhism for many centuries and has been a major Buddhist pilgrimage site with ruins of many ancient Buddhist temples, including the famous Anuradhapura Maha Viharaya and the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi , the oldest still-living, documented, planted tree in
6084-527: Was the last dynasty of the island before being fully colonized by the British Crown in 1815. The flag of the Kandy Nayaks based on the ancient Sinhala flags, a yellow lion holding a sword against a red background, is the main feature of the current Sri Lankan flag . The Nayaks of South India started as governors of Vijayanagara Empire ruling parts of Tamil Nadu during the 14th and 15th centuries. After
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